OneDrive vs. Teams-SharePoint - Sharing Similarities and Key Differences
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2022 |
OneDrive vs. Teams/SharePoint Similarities & Key Differences in Sharing
You might wonder how sharing a file on your personal OneDrive compares to sharing files in aMicrosoft Teamschannel or aSharePoint site(which underpins Teams). While the core concept is the same (granting access to cloud-stored files), there are some important differences inownership, visibility, and management. Below is a comparison:
Aspect |
Personal OneDrive (Your individual storage) |
Teams/SharePoint Site (e.g., files in a Team or departmental SharePoint library) |
Ownership & Control |
Owned by you. You are the sole proprietor of files in your OneDrive. You decide who to share with. If you leave the College, your OneDrive is typically removed after a retention period (unless files are transferred). |
Owned by a group or organization. Files in Teams/SharePoint belong to that site (usually tied to a department or project). They arent one persons private files. If you uploaded or created the file, youre the author, but all Team members or site members typically have access by default. If you leave the team or the College, the file stays with the team. |
Visibility & Discoverability |
Private by default to you. No one else in the organization can browse your OneDrive files unless you share them. Colleagues wont know a file even exists in your OneDrive unless you explicitly share or send it. When you do share, the recipients see it in their Shared with me list, but its not in their own folders. They have to keep the link or find it under Shared. |
Accessible to the team by default. Files stored in a Team (SharePoint library) are immediately visible to all members of that Team (or site) without additional sharing. For example, a file in a Teams channel General is accessible to everyone in that Team by going to the Files tab or SharePoint site. |
Link Sharing & Access Control |
When you share from OneDrive, you create a sharing link (like we discussed) that grants access to specific people or groups you choose. Only you (the owner) and IT admins (with appropriate approvals) can manage those links. Others cant see your OneDrives contents, only the pieces you share. If a link is People in org and it leaks, theoretically anyone at the college could use it so we avoid that. |
In a Team/SharePoint library, all team members already have access to the files by virtue of membership (so often no need for a special link). If you do create a sharing link for someone outside the Team, that is tracked in the sites permissions. Team owners or site owners can see/manage all sharing links on that file as well (not just the person who created the link). |
Collaboration Features |
Co-authoring: Both OneDrive and SharePoint support live co-authoring in Office documents. If you share a OneDrive file with edit rights, multiple people can indeed open and edit simultaneously (just like Google Docs, etc.). |
Co-authoring: Works the same in SharePoint/Teams multiple team members can edit at once. In fact, Teams is built for collaboration, so it encourages storing files there for group projects. No difference in the editing experience; its the same Office apps working on cloud files. |
Management & Auditing |
You manage sharing via your OneDrive interface (as we saw in Manage Access). Auditing: You can see who accessed a file via the Has Access list, but not detailed logs; however, IT administrators could audit file access through Microsoft 365 compliance centers if needed. If you leave, IT can transfer your OneDrive files to a manager or another user within a certain timeframe, but if thats not done, content could be deleted after retention ends. So important files shouldnt live only in someones OneDrive long-term. |
Management: Team owners/site owners have control over all files. They can manage permissions broadly (like setting a folder only certain members can see) or review all sharing links on the site. Theres typically a higher level of governance. Auditing: SharePoint has richer audit logs; every view or edit by users can be logged and reviewed by admins. Also, because its centrally managed, its easier to ensure continuity. |
In summary:OneDriveis your personal space great for working on files by yourself or sharing with a few people.Teams/SharePointis a shared space best when the files are inherently group-owned or if you want many colleagues or a whole class to have access. From the end-user perspective, accessing a file shared from someones OneDrive might feel a bit isolated (its Alices document that she shared with me) versus a file in Team which feels like our teams document.
Practical example to clarify differences:
- Scenario 1:An instructor wants to share lecture notes with their class. They could upload the notes to their own OneDrive and share with all student emails. The students get a link, can view the notes. However, each student will have to save that link or find it in Shared with Me, and the notes reside in the professors OneDrive only. Alternatively, if the class has a Teams site or SharePoint folder, placing the notes there means any student can just go to that site and find the notes among other class resources. The Team approach is more suitable for broad distribution where everyone in a defined group should see the file by default.
- Scenario 2:A staff member is drafting a policy document with one colleague. They start it in their OneDrive and share it with that colleague (specific people, can edit). The two work on it. Once its finalized, they move the final document to their departments SharePoint so that the whole department (and future employees) can easily access it as an official reference. During drafting, OneDrive was fine (limited viewers, clearly owned by the drafter). For final publishing, SharePoint is better (so its not tied to one persons account).
Both systems integrate:
For instance, if you share a OneDrive file in a Teamschat(not channel chat), Teams will upload it to your OneDrive and share with those chat participants automatically. Conversely, files shared in a Teamschannels chatare in SharePoint. In both instances the files will display in the users OneDrive under Shared > Shared with me as well.
Key takeaway:
UseOneDrivesharing for individual or small group collaborations where you need tight control. UseTeams/SharePointwhen the file is collaborative or reference material for an established group or if multiple people should own it collectively. Regardless of where the file is,use the appropriate sharing practices(specific people links, minimal permissions) to keep it secure.
Final Tips
- When in doubt, Specific People + View:If youre ever unsure which link to choose, go withSpecific people, Can View. You can then upgrade a particular person to edit if needed, or they can request edit access which youll explicitly grant.
- Group Ownership:If you find yourself repeatedly sharing a set of files with the same large group of people, that might be a sign those files belong in a shared library (Teams/SharePoint) rather than your OneDrive. This can simplify permission management and ensure continuity.
- Secure handling of shared links:Never post a link that grants access (even to specific people) in a public forum or somewhere unintended recipients might see it. Always send to the intended audience through proper channels (direct email, Teams chat, etc.).
- Review access after each semester/project:A good habit for faculty at semesters end or staff after a project completion is to remove any sharing links that are no longer needed. For example, if you shared assignments with a class via OneDrive, once the class is over, you might remove those links (especially if they were people in org links to avoid students sharing beyond class).
By following these guidelines, youll ensure OneDrive serves as apowerful collaborative toolwithout compromising the confidentiality or integrity of the colleges data. Sharing is caring butsharing securely is key!